Citroen DS3 convertible in the works

Citroen is reportedly developing a convertible version of its premium DS3 hatch, currently dubbed the 'DS3 Airflow'.

The topless DS3 project is said to be inspired by the roll-up fabric roof of the Fiat's 500C convertible - although Citroen has its own historic inspiration in the form of the iconic 2CV.

A retractable fabric roof for the DS3 would not be Citroen's first swing at the concept either, with 2009's DS-badged Revolte Concept featuring a similar approach to open-sky driving.

Adopting a retractable roof panel rather than a full folding roof brings more than a few benefits, most notably reduced development and production costs. The connected A, B and C pillars also mean that fewer handling and rigidity sacrifices are made.

According to the Netherlands' Autoweek, the DS3 Airflow will hit production in 2013. If the reports are to believed, expect a concept debut in the next year.